1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and particularly to a printer system having a filing section for filing (or recording), for example, character and graphic information, and a printing section for printing information stored in the filing section.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the amount of office space used for storing information has grown, due to an increase in the amount of character and graphic information to be processed (hereinafter referred to as documents). To alleviate this situation, an information filing system utilizing a disk memory system (optical disk system) has been developed.
This filing system includes a display unit capable of displaying minute information and a large-capacity recording system, which enable sophisticated editing, and searching and recording functions based on a fixed filing style.
However, such a filing system is very expensive. In addition, it has too many functions for processing information, making it complicated to operate, with the result that a considerable period of time is required to record information.
In light of this, an image forming and filing (processing) apparatus (integrated printer apparatus) incorporating an optical disk system has been developed.
The integrated printer apparatus (hereinafter referred to as an integrated apparatus) has two modes: one is a copying mode wherein the apparatus functions as a copying apparatus, and the other is a filing mode wherein it functions as a filing apparatus.
The integrated apparatus has a reading unit for reading information recorded on a document to be copied or filed, an image forming unit for printing out the information, and a filing unit for filing of the information read by the reading unit. The image forming unit includes a laser printer section for outputting information read by the reading unit and information extracted from the filing unit. The filing unit, including a memory section (optical disk unit), stores the read information, searches the stored information, and displays it on a display section or outputs it to the image forming unit.
A document to be copied or filed is set on a document table of the reading unit such that a face on which character or graphic information is recorded (hereinafter referred to as an information face) faces the document table. The information recorded on the document is read by the reading unit and copied or filed in accordance with a request by the user.
When a copying operation is requested, the information recorded on the document set on the document table is read by the reading unit. The read information is converted to a printing signal to be output through the laser printer, and printed on a sheet of paper. If two or more copies of the document are requested, the above operation is repeated the number of times specified. If two or more documents are to be copied, one document is first copied in the above manner and replaced by another document, then the above operation is repeated.
When a filing operation is requested, the information recorded on the document set on the document table is read by the reading unit. The read information is converted to a recording signal, and recorded on an optical disk by way of appropriate recording steps. If two or more documents are to be filed, information on one document is first filed in the above manner and the document is replaced by another document, then the above operation is repeated.
In general, an ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) is used in combination with the reading unit. The ADF replaces one document with another, when the first document has been completely read. With the ADF, documents can be fed consecutively one by one to the reading unit, with their information face facing the document table. As a result, the amount of time required for replacing documents to be copied or filed is reduced, since the user does not have to perform the replacing operation manually.
When the integrated apparatus with ADF is used in the copying mode, documents are set on a document tray with their information faces facing the document table. The documents are consecutively fed into the ADF, beginning with the last page, which is positioned at the top of the stack of documents. A fed document is transported to a read reference position on the document table, and information recorded thereon is read as image information. The read image information is converted to electrical signals, which are, in turn, converted to printing signals by appropriate processing. Information corresponding to the printing signals is printed out on a sheet of paper through a laser beam printer section. The sheet of paper on which the information is printed is output to a stacker tray and stacked therein, with its printed face facing in the opposite direction to the document table. If two or more copies of each document are requested, the reading and printing operations are repeated the number of times requested with respect to each document until the last document (leading page).
After information on a document has been read, the document is reversed in the ADF so that the information face is facing in the opposite direction to the document table, and output to a document stacker tray, the documents being stacked in the order where the leading page and the last page are respectively positioned at the top and the bottom of the document stack. The printed paper sheets output to the stacker tray are also stacked in this order.
When the integrated apparatus with ADF is used in the filing mode, information recorded on documents is read in consecutive fashion, beginning with the last page, i.e., in the same manner as in the copying mode. The read information is converted to electrical signals and temporarily stored in, for example, a hard disk or a D-RAM. When the information on all of the documents has been read, the temporarily stored information is recorded in a memory medium, such as an optical disk. If two or more documents are to be filed, the above reading operation is repeated with respect to each document until the leading page. After information on a document has been read, the document is reversed in the ADF so that the information face is facing in the opposite direction to the document table, and is output to a document stacker tray.
When the documents (on which character and graphic information are recorded) include an index and abstract on a leading page, the information on the leading page is recorded in the initial storage portion of an optical disk. However, when the integrated apparatus with ADF is used in the filing mode, documents are read beginning with the last page, i.e., in the same order as in the copying mode. Hence, it is necessary to rearrange the information temporarily stored in a hard disk or D-DRAM so that the information begins with the leading page when it is stored in the optical disk. Therefore, when the information on all the documents has been temporarily stored, the information is arranged in the reverse order to that of the read information.
The above situation is disadvantageous, since it necessitates that a hard disk or D-RAM of increased memory capacity be used and increases the time required to store all the information in the optical disk. In addition, because the document stacker tray is used to stock documents to be copied and documents to be filed after reading operations, therefore if a copying operation is interrupted by a filing operation or vice versa, documents to be filed and documents to be copied may be mixed together on the document stacker tray.
Further, the integrated apparatus with ADF is initialized in the copying mode when its power switch is turned on, and is on standby as a copying apparatus. However, when the integrated apparatus is used as a filing apparatus, it must be switched from the copying mode to the filing mode. If, thereafter, the integrated apparatus is used as a copying apparatus, it must be switched from the filing mode to the copying mode.